Defending champions Barbados rebounded from their defeat against Antigua and Barbuda to defeat Guyana yesterday in their Red Stripe Bowl regional one-day cricket encounter at the ARG.

In danger of missing the ‘final four’ for the first time since Red Stripe limited overs cricket began in 1997 the Bajans, led by a savage, unbeaten 92, from Dwayne Smith and a solid 62 from Sherwin Campbell emphatically crushed Guyana by eight wickets with 15.2 overs to spare.

Smith’s innings was laced with three fours and nine brutal sixes as Barbados, chasing Guyana’s inadequate 191-9 off 50 overs, rushed to 194-2 in 34.4 overs.

The explosive Smith clobbered a sub-standard Guyana bowling attack which included test-experience spinners Neil McGarrell and Mahendra Nagamootoo to all parts of the ARG sward.

Campbell was fed his bread-and-butter cut shot with consistent short and wide balls by pacers Eusan Crandon and Reon Griffith, reaching his fifty from 81 balls with five fours.

The former West Indies opener and Dale Richards, who hit three fours from 43 balls in his 31, added 57 for the first wicket on a track with some bounce before Richards was taken at mid-off driving at Nagamootoo.

Smith then joined Campbell in the thirteenth over and immediately set the ARG on fire with his cruel onslaught to silence the Guyanese flag-waving contingent at the ground.

His fifty came up from just 45 balls with five gigantic sixes and three scorching fours and it was only Guyana’s poor performance with the bat that robbed him the opportunity to record the second hundred in the 2003 competition.

He finished the match with consecutive sixes off McGarrell.

By the time Campbell, whose 62 came from 93 balls with seven fours, was caught at deep cover by Sewnarine Chattergoon off Nagamootoo to end the 100-run second- wicket stand, Guyana had already resigned themselves to defeat.

A stunned Guyana coach Albert Smith, said he was disappointed by the entire performance of his team, who must now beat Antigua and Barbuda in their last match on Sunday and hope that their run rate is up to ‘scratch’ to qualify for the semi-finals.

“We batted poorly and our batting is our strength...we might have to make some adjustments with the batting order and maybe the team,” Smith said.

“Our bowling was terrible and our pacers bowled too short and wide after we sat down and talked about Campbell’s cut shots. We have two spinners who played test cricket in the side...today was just a poor performance... and with Antigua on a high, we’ve got to improve and improve quickly, if we want to go to Jamaica,” Smith added.

Sent in to bat in overcast conditions, Guyana were off to a bad start when Ryan Ramdas (8) edged a ball from Pedro Collins which left him for wicket-keeper Courtney Browne to glove the catch to leave Guyyana on 8-1.

Guyana then lost two quick wickets to slip to 42-3 in the 12th over.

Ramnaresh Sarwan never looked settled and was caught at slip by Floyd Reifer off Corey Collymore for eight while Sewnarine Chattergoon edged Vasbert Drakes to the ‘keeper when he was just beginning to look set.

The left-handed opener, who was dropped at slip off Drakes on 25, failed to capitalize on his luck and fell for 28 aided by four fours from 29 balls.

In-form skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul (16) was then sent packing, by left-arm pacer Ian Bradshaw.

Chanderpaul got a ball which bounced more than he anticipated and edged a cut to Browne.

Deonarine, back in the side at the expense of Travis Dowlin in the only change from the team which beat UWI in their last game, was then run out for a duck at 78-5. Deonarine was run out by ‘miles’ as Cush charged down on him looking for a single after hitting the ball to cover and Campbell fumbled with the ball before getting it back to Browne. Cush, who opened up with a mighty six over long-on and followed it up with a crashing four through cover off the next ball fell to Collins when he got a leading edge to a thigh-high full toss and was caught and bowled for 46 with four fours and a six from 73 balls.

Two runs later, Nagamootoo who hit two fours from 36 balls in his 18, was run out in a terrible mix up with McGarrell as the poor Guyana batting and running between the wickets continued. With rain threatening and the Bajans desperately trying to get through the overs, Collymore, off a shortened run, had McGarrell caught behind for four while Hurley bowled Griffith (6) to make way for an entertaining last wicket stand between

Crandon and Vishal Nagamootoo.

Crandon hit three fours and a six in his unbeaten 31 from 33 balls and Nagamootoo made 23 from 28 balls with one four as they added 50 from just 47 balls including 18 from the final over bowled by Smith.

Collymore had 2-38 from 10 overs and Collins 2-45 from 10 overs as skipper Browne, who took four catches, used up his four fast bowlers in an effort to bowl Guyana out. This resulted in him having to use the gentle medium pace of Smith for the last over instead of bringing back a spinner at the ‘death’.

The expensive last over did not hurt the Bajans in the end as Smith re-paid his team with sixes galore in his highest score at this level to take the Man-of-the-Match award.

The competition continues today with Antigua coming up against the UWI.